1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, system and method for excavating a paved surface and, more particularly, to an apparatus, system and method for degrading a paved surface while avoiding surface obstacles.
2. Background
Modem road surfaces typically comprise asphalt, macadam, or other bituminous material processed and applied to form a smooth paved surface. Where low quality pavement components are used, or where pavement components are improperly implemented or combined, the paved surface may deteriorate quickly, necessitating frequent maintenance and repair. Even under normal conditions, temperature fluctuations, weather, and vehicular traffic over the paved surface may result in cracks and other surface irregularities over time. Road salts and other corrosive chemicals applied to the paved surface, as well as accumulation of water in surface cracks, may accelerate pavement deterioration.
Road resurfacing equipment may be used to degrade, remove, and/or recondition deteriorated pavement. Typically, heat generating equipment is used to soften the pavement, followed by equipment to degrade and plane the surface. New pavement materials may be worked into the degraded surface to recondition the pavement. The mixture may then be compacted to restore a smooth paved surface.
Conventional road cutting machines, however, are generally only capable of degrading an entire surface area corresponding to the width of the machine. Indeed, road cutting machines generally employ a cutting bit mounted to a cylindrical drum to contact and degrade pavement as the machine travels. As a result, a deteriorated pavement area must be large enough to accommodate the road cutting machine, and the area must be cleared of surface obstacles that may otherwise interfere with the cylindrical drum. Because the cylindrical drum extends the width of the machine and is dependent on the machine for its direction of travel, conventional road cutting machines are ill-equipped to maneuver around obstacles such as utility easements and boxes, manholes and manhole covers, culverts, rails, curbs, gutters, and other obstacles found in modern road ways.
Often, however, it is not desirable or cost effective to remove surface obstacles and resurface an entire road, especially in cases where only portions of the pavement have deteriorated. A paved surface may thus be allowed to continue to deteriorate until use of a conventional road cutting machine becomes appropriate. Until that time, the road may be patched to provide a temporary solution while delaying costs associated with road resurfacing.
Even where use of a conventional road cutting machine is deemed a cost effective and viable solution to pavement deterioration, peripheral pavement areas such as a shoulder of the road or the periphery of a manhole may be inaccessible to the machine. In such cases, manually operated impact devices such as jack hammers may be required, thereby further increasing the costs and resources associated with resurfacing a paved surface.
Accordingly, what are needed are a road degradation apparatus, system and method adapted to effectively degrade a paved surface while minimizing the costs traditionally associated with pavement resurfacing. Beneficially, such an apparatus would be capable of avoiding surface obstacles and degrading isolated or peripheral pavement areas, as well as being selectively implemented to degrade an entire road surface. Such an apparatus, system and method are disclosed and claimed herein.